To understand the evolutionary history of a plant family, the first step is to determine the closest related ancestor. Pereskias exhibit ancestral traits of cacti and are thought to be one of the earliest diverging lineages of the cactus family.

Did you know that children are spending 50 percent less time outdoors than they did 20 years ago? Nature play is a research-based movement gaining popularity in the United States to help combat this statistic.

A pollinator is an animal the moves pollen from one flower to another flower of the same species, fertilizing the plant. For many plants, this animal pollination is required for the plant to produce fruit and seeds, and thus reproduce. Nearly 80 percent of crops grown worldwide require animal pollination.